Electrical signaling system



(No Model.)

J. P. BUCHANAN. ELECTRICAL SIGNALING SYSTEM.

No. 596,201. Patented Dec; 28, 1897.

h Nfil M 5 h'y Q vLtmeoseo gmve'ntoz /04V?% m wm i zf NHE STATES FFIC ATENT JOHN P. BUCHANAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, OF MAINE.

ELECTRICAL SIG NALING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,201, dated December 28, 1897.

Application filed December 27, 1898. Serial No. 494,890. (No model.) I

useful Improvement in Electrical Signaling Systems, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification.

The invention relates especially to an automatic block system,-and has for its main obj ect to decrease the cost of such a system and also to render it less liable to uncertainties of operation consequent upon discharges of lightning or foreign currents.

It consists of the construction hereinafter set forth.

The drawing is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a track to which my system is applied, including one complete block and portions of the adjoining blocks.

I have shown and prefer to employ in my system rail-circuits for operating the signalcircuits, but of course other forms of trackcircuits might in some cases be used in place of therail-circuits.

Referring now to the drawing, A, A A and A are sections of the track, the sections A and A comprising a continuous rail-section 1 and two insulated rail-sections 2 and 3. The track-sections A and A in the same way comprise a continuous rail-section 4 and two insulated rail-sections 5 and 6. The signal B is located near the adjoining ends of the sections A and A and the signal B is located near the adjoining ends of the sections A and A The distance between the signals is one block. B is controlled by a circuit which may be traced as follows: from the signal through the wire 1", circuit-controller d, contact-point 6, Wire f, circuit-controller g, contact-point h, wireo, battery E, wire 1), portion of the railsection 1, and wire 0 back to signal. Thus it will be seen that the signal-circuit includes a plurality of circuit-controllers and a portion of the rails of the track, but it need not necessarily include any portion of the track, for a separate wire might be substituted for this rail-section. The ends of the rails l and 3 are bridged by the wires 19 and is, which in clude the battery F. The wire I is connected to the rear end of the rail-section 3 at one end and at its other end to one side of the magnet O. The other side of this magnet is connected to one end of the wire 0, the other end of which is connected to the rail-section 1 about midway its ends. The wire m is connected to the forward end of the rail-section 2 and at its other end to the magnet O at a point between the two coils of which the magnet is composed. The rear ends of the railsections 1 and 2 are bridged by the wires n and 0, which include the magnet M. The circuit for the signal B is arranged the same way as the circuit for the signal B just de scribed, and the circuits through the railsections A and A are arranged in precisely the same way as the circuits through the railsections A and A just described and include the magnets D and O similarly arranged.

The magnet O operates the circuit-controller d in the circuit of the signal B, and the magnet D operates the circuit-controller g in the circuit of the signal B. The magnet O operates the circuit-controller d of the signal B, and the magnet M operates one of the circuit-controllers for the circuit of the signal at the rear of the signal B. Each of the coils of the magnets O and O is wound to a resistance of four and one-half ohms, and each of the coils of the magnets M and D is wound to a resistance of two ohms. The battery F is the gen erator for multiple-arc arrangements of the circuits which include the rails of the tracksections A and A and the magnets O and M, arranged in the same direction from the battery, and may be traced as follows: from battery F, through wire I), portion of the rail-section l,wire c,both coils of the magnet O,wire Z, and rail-section 3 to battery. This circuit, therefore, since it includes both coils of the magnet O, has a resistance of nine ohms, excluding the resistance of the conductors, and operates the circuit-controller d, The other circuit is from the battery F through wire I), rail-section 1,wire o,magnet M,wire n,rail-section 2,wire m, one coil of the magnet 0, wire Z, rail-section 3,and wire it to battery. This circuit, therefore, since it includes both coils of the magnet M and one coil of the magnet O,has a resistance of eight and one-half ohms, excluding the resistance of the conductors.

These conductors, however, being of greater length than those of the circuit through one coil of the magnet O, bring the resistance of these two circuits to an approximate balance, so that the current of the battery E is divided, part [lowing through both coils of the magnet U and the remaining part flowing through one coil of the magnet C and both coils of the mag net M.

The signals are arranged to stand normally at safety with all the circuits closed, as shown. The operation is as follows: A train entering upon the rail'section A shunts in the usual manner the magnet M and drops the circuit controller of the magnet M, breaking the signal-circuit in which it is included and holding its signal at danger. \Vhen the train enters the section A it shunts both the coils of the magnet (J, dropping the circuit-controller (Z and breaking the circuit for the signal 1 which then goes to danger. As long as any portion of the train remains upon the section A both the magnets C and M are shunted, and the signal-circuits which they control therefore remain open with their signals at danger. When the train enters upon the track A, it shunts the magnet D, maintaining the signal 13 at danger by a second break at the circuit-controller g,a11d when the train has entirely passed off the section A the magnets C and M are again energizeththe magnet C clos ing the first break in the signal-circuit, but leaving the signal at danger on account of the break at the circuit-controller g and the magnet M, closing the signal-circuit which it controls and putting the signal to safety. \Vhen the train enters upon the section A, it puts the signal 13 to danger by shunting both the coils of the magnet C, still holding the signal. 13 at danger. As long as the train remains upon the section A both the magnets C and D will be shunted,and the circuits which they control will remain open with their signals at danger. Thus it will be seen that when a train enters a block the signal normally at safety is put to danger and maintained in this position as long as the train remains in this block or the rear end of the preceding block-via, the overlap.

It will be noted that in my system I have obviated the use of a. multiplicity of exposed linewires, and that the wiref is the only exposed wire that is employed in my system, as shown.

Although I prefer to arrange the magnets in the rail-circuits in the manner shown and to wind them to dilferent resistances, as set forth, it is obvious that this is not absolutely essential, the main point being that the arcs of the 111 ultiple-arc circuit in which the trackmagnets are included should properly apportion the current to the requirements of the magnets. To accomplish this end, resistancecoils might be employed and disposed in the circuit where required, and, moreover, additional battery-power might be used in this multiple-arc circuit instead of depending upon the common battery 1 alone; but in no case should the magnets M and I) be supplied with battery which cannot be cut out by a train when occupying the sections A and A", respectively. Various other changes might;- be made in the system without departing from the spirit of the invention that will occur to any one skilled in the art. For example, the signals could be arranged to stand normally at danger instead of at safety, as by having the magnet C normally unresponsive to its battery and the signal-circuit opening the magnet becoming responsive when the train shunts the magnet M.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric signaling system the combination of electric conductors arranged in multiple-arc circuits, each of said arc-circuits including an electromagnet and all of said arc-circuits including a common generator, the magnets being arranged in the same direction from said generator along a railwaytraek, and circuit-controllers operated by said magnets and signaling mechanism operated or controlled by said circuit-con trollers,said arccircuits adapted to be operated in succession by a passing train and so arranged that when a train operates the first arc-circuit the cir cuit-con trollcr therefor is ailccted but not the other circuit-controller, and when the train operates the succeeding are-circuit both cir- CUlt-COX'ltl'OllOlS are affected substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric signaling system for railways the combination of a portion of a track, electric conductors which include the rails of the track and arranged in multiple'arc circuits, each of said arc-circuits including an electromagnet and all of said arc-circuits including a common generator, the magnets being arranged in the same direction from said generator, and cireuit-con trollers operated by said magnets and signaling mechanism opcr ated or controlled by said cireuit-eontrellers, said are circuits adapted to be operated in succession by a passing train and so arranged that when a train operates the first arc-circuit the circuit-controller therefor is affected but not the other circuit-controller, and when the train operates the succeeding arc-circuit both circuit-controllers are affected substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric signaling system the combination of electric conductors arranged in multiple-arc circuits, each of said arc-circuits including an electromagnet and all of said arc-circuits including a common generator, the magnets being arranged in the same direction from said generator along a railwaytrack, and separate signal-circuits operated by said magnets and signaliu g mechanism operated or controlled by said magnets, said arc-circuits adapted to be operated in succession by a passing train, and so arranged that when a train operates the first arc-circuit the signal-circuit therefor is affected but not the other signal-circuit, and when the train op-.

erates the succeeding arc-circuit both signalcircuits are aifected,substantially as set forth.

4-. In an electric signaling system for railways the combination of a track divided into sections, electric conductors arranged in multiple-arc circuits including the rails of at least two of said track-sections, and another of said arc-circuits including the rails of at least one of said track-sections, each of said arc-circuits also including an electromagnet operating a circuit-controller, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric signaling system for railways the combination of a track divided into sections, electric conductors arranged in multiple-arc circuits including the rails of at least two of said track-sections, and another of said arc-circuits including the rails of at least one of said track-sections, each of said arc-circuits also including an electromagnet operating a circuit-controller, and signal-circuits controlled by said circuit-controllers, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric signaling system the combination of electric conductors arranged in approximately balanced multiple-arc circuits, each of said arc-circuits including an electromagnet and all ofsaid arc-circuits including a common generator, the magnets being arranged in the same direction from said generator along a railway-track, and separate normally-closed signal-circuits operated by said circuit controllers, said arc circuits adapted to be operated in succession by a passing train and so arranged that when a train operates the first arc-circuit the circuitcontroller therefor is aifected but not the other circuit-controller, and when the train operates the succeeding arc-circuit both circuitcontrollers are affected, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electric signaling system for rail- Waysthe combination of a track divided into sections, electric conductors arranged in approximately-balanced multiple-arc circuits, one of said arc-circuits including the rails of at least two of said track-sections, and another of said arc-circuits including the rails of at least one of said track-sections, each of said arc-circuits also including an electromagnet operating a circuit-controller, and a normally-closed signal-circuit controlled by each of said circuit-controllers, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electric signaling system for railways the combination of two adjoining portions of a track, each comprising a long continuous rail-section and two short corresponding insulated rail-sections, a rail-circuit including an electromagnet and one of said short rail-sections and a corresponding portion of the long rail-section of one of said portions of the track, a second rail-circuit including an electromagnet, a long rail-section and both of the corresponding short rail-sections of the other portion of the track, and a signal-circuit operated by said magnets, substantially as set forth.

9. In an electric signaling system, the combination of a number of multiple-arc circuits, each of which includes the rails of a track, a battery, and a magnet in each of its arc branches, the magnets of a multiple-arc circuit being arranged in the same direction from their common battery and adapted to be successively short-circuited by a passing train, a series of signaling-circuits including a pluralityof circuit-controllers, one circuit-eontroller of each signal-circuit being operated by a magnet of a multiple-arc circuit, and another circuit-controller of each signal-cir cuit being operated by a magnet of a separate multiple-arc circuit, substantially as set forth.

10. In an electric signaling system, the combination of a signaling-circuit including a plurality of circuit-controllers, two multiplearc circuits, each of which includes separate insulated sections of track, a battery and a magnet in each of its arc branches, the magnets of a multiple-arc circuit being arranged in the same direction from their common battery and adapted to be successively shortcircuited by a passing train, one of the magnets of each multiple-arc circuit operating a circuit-controller of the si gnaling-circuit,substantially as set forth.

11. A- block-signal system having a trackcircuit extending along it and having a generator at one end of the block and being provided with a plurality of relays located at different distances from the generator and adapted to be successively short circuited through a passing train and signaling mechanism having circuits controlled by the said relays.

JOHN P. BUCHANAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN PERRINs, Jr., FRANK R. ROGERS. 

